Follow The Yellow Brick Road
by baobabs
Summary: Oh come on, you didn't think heroes risked their ass on a daily basis without having some doubts, did you? Written for the Fairytale Challenge at the Young Justice Challenges forum.


**Author's Note: So here it is. My very late entry for the Fairytale Challenge. I know it's not strictly canon-based, like, there's no mention of Batgirl or anyone like that, the timeline's seriously screwed up… so I guess it's kinda AU. It's sort of set in the future, five years after the series started… Some Batman references, animated and comic universes… Don't kill me, please?**

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

Sometimes, I wonder if things would still be the same if I haven't done what I've done.

Hadn't hacked Project Cadmus, hadn't run away. Hadn't seen the wire unwind, hadn't witnessed my parents' fall…

Maybe things would've turned out better. Maybe – something, I don't know, I don't really dare hope it – I'm a bit scared of it, to tell the truth – something – maybe Barbara wouldn't have gotten paralyzed, maybe my relationship with Bruce wouldn't have become so seriously screwed up. Maybe Jason would still be alive, maybe another innocent boy's life wouldn't have been filled with revenge and death and pain, pain, pain…

Now that you think about it, life's full of maybe's and what if's. It's only until you've gone and done it before you start thinking, _what if I hadn't done that? Did I make the right choice?_

Being Robin, being a Teen Titan, being a hero… doing what I do, you have to make a lot of choices. And sometimes it gets hard, because for us – one wrong choice, and everyone's lives could be ruined. Just because you made the wrong decision, made one _faux pas_… You have to make the right choice, every single time. And sometimes – it's not always easy to see what's right and what's wrong. I've made a lot of mistakes in my lifetime. And – and I'm not proud of some of the things I've done, some of the things I've said… sometimes I regret _not_ doing something, and I think about it all the time, wondering, imagining what could've been… you can drive yourself insane, just doing that. Always considering the possibilities, the choices you could've made but didn't –

It's a bit like that girl in the fairytale, isn't it, Dorothy what's-her-face, with the little dog and the tin man and all those other people – the scarecrow, the tin man, the lion – although technically he wasn't a person – inside, maybe, but not on the outside – that's what's they see you as, no? just who you are on the outside – how they went and followed the yellow brick road, just like the witch and those weird little munchkins told them to so. I wonder – if she didn't follow the path they wanted her to follow, would things still have turned out like they did? Would she still have found the wizard, the witch who told her how to get home? Or even – if she didn't take those ruby slippers, didn't kill the first witch – would everything – would everything have still been fine?

I guess I didn't follow the road that others set out for me. I guess I didn't do what Batman had laid out for me, guess I didn't follow the exact orders. Maybe if I – if I didn't – maybe Babs would still be walking and Jason wouldn't be dead. Maybe if I hadn't called Batman, the day Zucco came, maybe my parents would still be here. But even then – would I have remained at the circus for the rest of my life? Never met Batman, or Alfred, or Batgirl, or the Justice League – would I still be happy, remaining at the circus, flying and leaping and spinning in the air – what then?

There's always going to be what if's and maybe's. There's always going to be things I regret doing, things I regret saying. But I think – after everything – I'm happy with the way things are. I've joined Young Justice, you know that? Yeah, just a couple of us, KF and Aqualad and Superboy and Beast Boy, Miss Martian and Artemis – Batman gives us missions, Black Canary is in charge of training, Red Tornado is our supervisor. We're sort of undercover, not as big as the Justice League, but – we do alright, haven't failed yet. A couple big villains – Kobra was the worst, I think – man, did I screw _that_ one up – but we – we're okay. We're just teenagers, really, so we can relax and enjoy ourselves in between missions, you know? And I'm glad – I'm glad how things turned out.

Did you know KF's with Artemis? We were betting how long it would take for him to finally realize who he really liked. I said five, Aqualad said seven, Superboy – well, Superboy was too busy making out with Miss Martian to notice – and yeah, I guess he finally came to his senses. Me? Oh, I don't know; maybe – maybe I'll find someone. Me and Kaldur, we're kind of the bachelors now – but don't tell him I said that. I don't think he's entirely gotten over Tula, not even after all these years. It's hard on a guy, learning that the girl you've loved and still love doesn't love _you_ anymore, loves your best friend instead. And even though you know that you wouldn't do anything to harm them, even though you love them both so much it hurts, and even though you want the best for them…it's betrayal in its worst form. Because they're supposed to be your friends, and finding out the way Kaldur did…it's something you don't get over with that fast. Oh, he's strong, he'll survive – he already has, really – but you have to give him time.

Beast Boy's with this girl called Terra. Great personality; how could anyone not like him? Hopefully it'll turn out good. Well, more than good. Excellent, really. They deserve it. It's been kind of rough with those two; there was one moment when – well, that's their story to tell.

I guess – I'm sort of waiting, now. Who knows? Maybe Babs and I will finally work out. We'll see. I can wait.

So yeah. I've made a lot of choices in my life. I didn't _quite_ follow the path set out for me – Project Cadmus, for one thing – but I – I'm glad to be where I am. I think it's turned out pretty well, don't you think? Friends, family – Bats and Selina, who would've guessed? – a future, opportunities to kick ass; what's not to love? And the great thing?

I made my own path, didn't follow what others told me to do, and after everything –

I'm happy.

**Author's Note the Second: The producers of the show have said that Beast Boy will be joining the team later on. So there. :P And me loves me some BB/Terra…**


End file.
